The estimable Father John Jay Hughes reports that the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran a feature article last December 26 on how to disassemble and store Christmas decorations. As Father Hughes commented: "In my childhood, thanks to my Anglican priest-father, we were never permitted to put up the tree or any Christmas decorations until Christmas Eve. And once up, they stayed there until at least the Octave of Epiphany" (which, I'd perhaps better note, would be January 13 --- if, that is, the bishops hadn't moved Epiphany from its proper date to a nearby Sunday, a folly surpassed only by the biblical absurdity of Ascension Thursday Sunday).

Fifteen years of intense involvement with Poles and Poland has given me an even more capacious view of the Christmas season. In Poland, the decorations stay up, the Christmas carols are sung, and the celebration of the Incarnation continues until February 2, the Feast of the Presentation, or Candlemas. That's the way it was in the papal apartment in Rome between 1978 and 2004. And that's the way it will be in Poland's intact Catholic culture this year.

Railing against secular America's calendrical translation of the "Christmas season" into a period between mid-October and 8 a.m. December 26 (or whenever the post-Christmas sales start at the malls) is of less importance, though, than trying to ensure that the Church's Advent and Christmas seasons are not temporally hijacked by the surrounding culture.

If memory serves, Advent got exceedingly short shrift last year, being essentially just three weeks long: which meant 25 percent less time to reflect on the two great themes of that wonderful time --- the Second Coming and the Incarnation. Worse yet, more and more Catholic churches seemed to be succumbing to the secular redefinition of the seasons by putting up Christmas decorations during the third or even second week of Advent. The truncation was just as bad at the far end, what with the transfer of Epiphany to Sunday, January 2.

We need more Advent and Christmas, not less --- but we need them at the proper time, which is the Church's time, not Macy's time or Wal-Mart's time. Taking Advent seriously would be a good beginning.

The widespread use of Advent wreaths in churches is a welcome development. Even more welcome would be pastors actively encouraging every Catholic family to have an Advent wreath in their home, to learn the rituals of lighting it, and to pray together at the nightly lighting of the wreath during one of the most spiritually rich seasons of the Church's year of grace.

Reconstituting the liturgical calendar would also help. The Solemnity of the Epiphany belongs on January 6, period. Restoring Epiphany to its proper place would do justice to a generally neglected feast; in a nifty countercultural move, it would also stretch the Christmas season back to its proper length.

And while we're on the Epiphany, why not stretch it out, too? Bringing back, say, three "Sundays After Epiphany" would give the Church a greater opportunity to pray over the mission-to-the-nations, one of the great themes embedded in the Lord's "epiphany." What's the rush to get to "Ordinary Time" (an ill-advised moniker if ever there was one)? Wouldn't it be spiritually beneficial to spend more time in that extraordinary time marked by Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany?

Let's be different. Let's let liturgical time define this unique time of the year.

To get technical Jesus was born while his parents were traveling to pay their taxes, hence the crowded Inn, where other taxpayers were crowded. This probably happened in the Summer time, but somebody messed up the Calendar and we celebrate on Dec. 25... So maybe we should celebrate it in July or something.

5
posted on 12/05/2005 11:33:11 PM PST
by GeronL
(Leftism is the INSANE Cult of the Artificial)

My cards always have a Christmas message, a Christmas design (e.g. not just a pretty house in the snow)but more importantly, always a scripture somewhere. How can they believe if they do not hear? Once a year I can at least put out something out of God's scripture so I take advantage of that.

When I was in my 20's I sent a lot of the fun stuff (Santa and so on) but after I renewed my commitment to our Lord, I ttake the Christmas season with a little more solemnity.

Hey, these people are just advocating moving the season up so that Christmas BEGINS the season. I say, expand it both ways! We get our tree soon after Thanksgiving. We keep it up until after New Years. We light an Advent Wreath and read the Bible and sing songs. We play Christmas music. Make a month of it, in other words!

It's a little disgusting to go to bed on Christmas evening, and hear the radio stations already back to playing their regular music. Just chucking the Christmas stuff as soon as the clock strikes midnight.

13
posted on 12/06/2005 6:31:49 AM PST
by DaveLoneRanger
("As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free, while God is marching on.")

Sheesh. I see it all the time myself though. Sometimes when I see what is happening I think of Noah and what was going on and how the people just kept getting married, working basicallyliving their lives, totally oblivious to the deluge to come. Not that they had a chance though.

That's how we celebrated when I was young. As a compromise with my husband who is British, we put up the tree a few days before Christmas eve, as a child we were not allowed to see the tree decorated until Christmas eve officially began. With my children, particularly when they were younger...we celebrated everything during and after Advent, up until Candlemas. Though I have to say Martinmas with it's traditional lantern walk in November was the first inkling of the holidays, and my favorite. My youngest is now 11... she dutifully put our her shoe last night for Sankt Niklaus to fill...and she was not disappointed.

Thanks so much for posting this. I remember learning maybe 15 years ago that the 12 days of Christmas started on Christmas and went to Epiphany. I've started putting a big Advent Wreath in our yard (since the kids want some kind of decoration). We add a "flame" each week. We do put our tree up during the week before Christmas (there's no way I could do it on Christmas Eve). I've always gotten irked to see people's Christmas trees out by their curbs on Dec. 26, since we've always left ours up until Ephiphany.

When a friend went into the Discalced Carmelite Monastery, it was then that I learned they celebrated Christmas all the way until the Presentation, so she could write to people during that time. (she can only write twice a year--Christmas Season and Easter Season).

It's gonna take a l o n g time to reverse the tide we're on as a society regarding Holy Days.

I don't know about him being born on Tax Day, but the odds are good that he was actually born between April and June. The biggest indicator of that is the reason that Mary and Joseph were traveling...the census. A census would not have been taken midwinter when traveling was risky and food was scarce, it would not have been taken during the fall when people were harvesting, and it would not have been taken during summer when people were busy in their fields. Census taking was a disruptive activity, and would have only taken place during the break between the spring thaw and first planting, hence April-June. And yes, the climate in Israel today is very different from the climate in Jesus day...the entire country has been deforested and is warmer today than it was in Jesus time.

The origins of the December Christmas are well understood, and date back to Saturnalia and early Christian prosecution. It was the only day they could celebrate without risk of arrest or execution.

The symbolism of the Advent wreath is beautiful. The wreath is made of various evergreens, signifying continuous life. Even these evergreens have a traditional meaning which can be adapted to our faith: The laurel signifies victory over persecution and suffering; pine, holly, and yew, immortality; and cedar, strength and healing. Holly also has a special Christian symbolism: The prickly leaves remind us of the crown of thorns, and one English legend tells of how the cross was made of holly. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symbolizes the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life found in Christ. Any pine cones, nuts, or seedpods used to decorate the wreath also symbolize life and resurrection. All together, the wreath of evergreens depicts the immortality of our soul and the new, everlasting life promised to us through Christ, the eternal Word of the Father, who entered our world becoming true man and who was victorious over sin and death through His own passion, death, and resurrection.

The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent. A tradition is that each week represents one thousand years, to sum to the 4,000 years from Adam and Eve until the Birth of the Savior. Three candles are purple and one is rose. The purple candles in particular symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifices and goods works undertaken at this time. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, when the priest also wears rose vestments at Mass; Gaudete Sunday is the Sunday of rejoicing, because the faithful have arrived at the midpoint of Advent, when their preparation is now half over and they are close to Christmas. The progressive lighting of the candles symbolizes the expectation and hope surrounding our Lords first coming into the world and the anticipation of His second coming to judge the living and the dead.

The light again signifies Christ, the Light of the world. Some modern day adaptions include a white candle placed in the middle of the wreath, which represents Christ and is lit on Christmas Eve. Another tradition is to replace the three purple and one rose candles with four white candles, which will be lit throughout Christmas season.

In family practice, the Advent wreath is most appropriately lit at dinner time after the blessing of the food. A traditional prayer service using the Advent wreath proceeds as follows: On the First Sunday of Advent, the father of the family blesses the wreath, praying: O God, by whose word all things are sanctified, pour forth Thy blessing upon this wreath, and grant that we who use it may prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ and may receive from Thee abundant graces. Who livest and reignest forever. Amen. He then continues for each of the days of the first week of Advent, O Lord, stir up Thy might, we beg thee, and come, that by Thy protection we may deserve to be rescued from the threatening dangers of our sins and saved by Thy deliverance. Who livest and reignest forever. Amen. The youngest child then lights one purple candle.

During the second week of Advent, the father prays: O Lord, stir up our hearts that we may prepare for Thy only begotten Son, that through His coming we may be made worthy to serve Thee with pure minds. Who livest and reignest forever. Amen. The oldest child then lights the purple candle from the first week plus one more purple candle.

During the third week of Advent, the father prays: O Lord, we beg Thee, incline Thy ear to our prayers and enlighten the darkness of our minds by the grace of Thy visitation. Who livest and reignest forever. Amen. The mother then lights the two previously lit purple candles plus the rose candle.

Finally, the father prays during the fourth week of Advent, O Lord, stir up Thy power, we pray Thee, and come; and with great might help us, that with the help of Thy grace, Thy merciful forgiveness may hasten what our sins impede. Who livest and reignest forever. Amen. The father then lights all of the candles of the wreath.

Since Advent is a time to stir-up our faith in the Lord, the wreath and its prayers provide us a way to augment this special preparation for Christmas. Moreover, this good tradition helps us to remain vigilant in our homes and not lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas.

I use the example of the gradually increasing light of the Advent wreath as the pattern for decorating at home and Church.

At home, the decorations begin with creches at the beginning of Advent (minus the Christ Child, who does not appear until December 24 mid day) and these will remain up through Candlemass. Outdoor lights are added in groupings each Advent Saturday. Right now blue bulbs predominate; and I actually have a grouping of four wild cedar trees that will serve as a living Advent wreath.

At home and Church alike Gaudete Sunday is the turning point...that is when the trees appear. Church poinsettias do not arrive until Advent 4. The church nave has deep window sills so the only creche figures at the stable (also placed on Gaudete) are animals and a shepherd. Mary and Joseph are on a front window ledge. The Magi and their camels are much farther back, and will move forward with each successive Sunday or Festival. The church creche also stays up through Candlemass.

Returning back home, Christmas Eve is the big outdoor transformation when many of the blue lights are suddenly supplemented with clear; a wire sculpture creche is lighted, plus a whole lot of clear lighted wild trees. And these remain lighted through all of the twelve days! Lights remain "up" through January 5.

35
posted on 12/06/2005 8:37:37 PM PST
by lightman
(The Office of the Keys should be exercised as some ministry needs to be exorcised.)

We celebrate through Epiphany, too, and have an Epiphany Party to wrap things up. People are still wanting to celebrate and we all finally have the time available. We have to put a flyer in with our invitations, tho — a definition of Epiphany, for the non-liturgical and non-churched.

In Vienna, they start the Waltz Season December 26 and go til - what? Epiphany? Lent? In Merrye England, they celebrated the Twelve Days After. The Puritans left some of the good stuff behind, but it is ours for the taking.

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